Baby, it's cold outside

This summer I had read how The Farmer's Almanac was predicting this winter to be one of the worst winters in 50 years. Then I ran across another article about how the conditions were perfect for an absolutely pitiful winter. I'm starting to think they were correct. What a nasty winter so far. The only silver lining I can find is that these bitter low temperatures are going to kill off all of those grasshopper eggs and I might have a decent garden this summer. Mild winters suck when it comes to pests. So I'm clinging on to that hope as I dress up in 12 layers and trudge out to feed the animals twice a day.

The weather dude is predicting tonight's low to be -2 degrees with wind chills into the -30's. Yikes. I've done a few preparations to ensure all the outside animals survive. First thing I've done is carry each yowling cat inside and up to Wesley's bathroom. So now we have three rather loud cats (who are clearly not appreciative of my efforts to keep them warm) crammed into his little bathroom.

The horses do great in this weather. Give em extra prairie hay and they are good to go. Naturally Dym, the nubian goat, decided to stop eating this morning. Ruminates do great in the cold. The way they digest their food works as a furnace like no other animal. But this all comes crashing down when they stop feeding the furnace. I put her coat on her, wormed her (which I did late November too so it might not be worm related) and gave her some molasses. She ate the molasses and picked at some alfalfa pellets but wouldn't eat hay or a flake of alfalfa (which is very unlike her). I had a talk with her and told her she'd better start eating or she'd probably die tonight. Oh how I wish I had a heated barn for nights like tonight. But I suppose I'd take a heated garage instead. So after watching her shiver for a few hours I moved the cars outside and moved her and her grown kids into the garage off the house. Right now two space heaters are going and they are slowly warming her up. It's up to a toasty 36 degrees in there now. Here's hoping she starts eating again.

So at this current moment we have all three dogs in the laundry room, barn cats in the bathroom, goats in the garage and two chickens in the insulated side of the shop (shhh... hubby doesn't know about this one). The chickens decided January was a perfect time to go through a hard molt. Two of the eight have lost most of their feathers. Stupid chickens. That's a whole nother post.

As for us we are all hunkered down inside today and tomorrow. Hubby has to go back to work tomorrow after two weeks off. We'll miss him. It's been an incredibly relaxing and enjoyable break. Santa got us a WiiU this year (thanks Santa you're the best ;-) and we've been having fun with it. I found an after Christmas deal on a fleece pajama set and I've literally been living in them for the past week. So warm and comfy. Stay warm everyone.